Influence of Stator Blade Geometry on Torque Converter Cavitation

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Liu ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Qingdong Yan ◽  
Brian K. Weaver ◽  
Houston G. Wood

Cavitation in torque converters may cause degradation in hydrodynamic performance, severe noise, or even blade damage. Researches have highlighted that the stator is most susceptible to the occurrence of cavitation due to the combination of high flow velocities and high incidence angles. The objective of this study is to therefore investigate the effects of cavitation on hydrodynamic performance as well as the influence of stator blade geometry on cavitation. A steady-state homogeneous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed and validated against test data. It was found that cavitation brought severe capacity constant degradation under low-speed ratio (SR) operating conditions and vanished in high-speed ratio operating conditions. A design of experiments (DOE) study was performed to investigate the influence of stator design variables on cavitation over various operating conditions, and it was found that stator blade geometry had a significant effect on cavitation behavior. The results show that stator blade count and leaning angle are important variables in terms of capacity constant loss, torque ratio (TR) variance, and duration of cavitation. Large leaning angles are recommended due to their ability to increase the cavitation number in torque converters over a wide range of SRs, leading to less stall capacity loss as well as a shorter duration of cavitation. A reduced stator blade count is also suggested due to a reduced TR loss and capacity loss at stall.

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63
Author(s):  
P. O. Sweger ◽  
C. L. Anderson ◽  
J. R. Blough

An automotive torque converter was tested in order to determine the effect of converter operating condition and turbine blade design on turbine blade strain in the region of the inlet core tab restraint. The converter was operated over a wide range of speed ratios (0 to 0.95) at constant input torque and a stall condition for two input torques. Foil-type strain gages in combination with wireless microwave telemetry were used to measure surface strain on the turbine blade. Strain measurements were made on two turbine blade designs.The steady component of strain over the range of speed ratios suggests the effect of both torque loading and centrifugal loading on the turbine blade tip. The unsteady strain was greatest at stall condition and diminished as speed ratio increased. Greater input torque at stall condition resulted in both greater steady strain and greater unsteady strain. The spectral distribution of strain over the range of tested speed ratios displayed an increase in low-frequency broadband fluctuations near stall condition. A blade-periodic event is observed which correlates to the pump-blade passing frequency relative to the turbine rotating frame. Reducing the blade-tip surface area and increasing the inlet-tab root radius reduced the range of steady strain and magnitude of unsteady strain imposed near the inlet core tab restraint over the range of operating conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Boshen Liu ◽  
Lu Tan ◽  
Jin Li

Abstract An experimental investigation was performed to characterize the influence of pump rotation speed on the hydrodynamic performance and the associated unsteady pressure on the stator blade pressure-surface in a torque converter. High-resolution miniature transducers were used to obtain the signature of the pressure pulsation at specific surface locations. Results show that the increase of the pump rotation speed can enhance the torque capacity of the stator, leading to a higher torque ratio in the low speed ratio range and an improvement of the highest transmission efficiency. The efficiency increase rate starts to reduce at approximately SR = 0.4, corresponding to where the stator capacity reaches the maximum and exhibits a uniform distribution of the pressure pulsation intensity. The spectral decomposition of the pulsating pressure reveals the existence of two dominating frequencies, which corresponds to the upstream pump turbine interaction and the downstream pump blade passing. Higher pump speeds enhance the pump turbine interaction and results in a more regular pressure pulsation, improving the hydrodynamic performance of the torque converter.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Agureev Igor Evgen'evich ◽  
◽  
Sergeev Alexander Leonidovich ◽  
Trushin Nikolay Nikolaevich ◽  
◽  
...  

The study offers a design solution for online capacity adjustment of hydrodynamic torque converter powertrains. It is proposed to install a step-less speed drive or multistage matching gearbox between the engine and the torque converter to adjust the powertrain properties on the move depending on the current operating conditions. We propose the matching device arrange-ments. The solutions can be used in buses, trucks, tractors, diesel locomotives, etc. that operate in a wide range of external loads.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Argang Kazemzadeh

The coaxial mixers composed of a high-speed central impeller and a low-speed anchor have been recommended by the previous researchers for the mixing of highly viscous and non-Newtonian fluids. However, no study has been reported in the literature regarding the use of the coaxial mixing systems composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of complex fluids. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of coaxial mixers composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of the xanthan gum solution, which is a yield-pseudoplastic fluid, through electrical resistance tomography (ERT), the computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and design of experiments (DOE) combined with the response surface methodology (RSM). In the first stage of this study, the hydrodynamic performance of coaxial mixers, the single and double Scaba impellers in combination with an anchor impeller, was investigated in the mixing of yield-pseudoplastic fluids. Considering the mixing efficiency criteria, it was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial system was more efficient than the single Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer in the mixing of yield pseudoplastic fluids with regard to the mixing time and power drawn. In the second stage of this research project, the performances of three different coaxial mixers, namely, double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC), double Rushton turbine-anchor coaxial (DRAC), and double pitched blade turbine-anchor coaxial (DPAC) mixers were assessed. It was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC) mixer was more efficient system compared to the others at the same operating conditions. To evaluate the influence of the impeller spacing on the hydrodynamics of the double Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer, the lower impeller clearance and the spacing between two central impellers were changed within a wide range. The results demonstrated that a coaxial mixer with the impeller spacing of almost equal to the central impeller diameter was the most efficient configuration compared to the other cases. When the impeller spacing was varied, the merging flow and parallel flow patterns were observed. Finally, the hydrodynamic performances of different configurations of coaxial mixers composed of a wall scraping anchor impeller in combination with two different or identical central high-speed impellers were analyzed. The coaxial mixers utilized in this stage were the Scaba–Scaba-anchor (SSAC), Scaba-Rushton-anchor (SRAC), Rushton-Scaba-anchor (RSAC), Scaba-pitched blade-anchor (SPBAC), and pitched blade-Scaba-anchor (PBSAC). A new correlation was introduced for these complex configurations of the coaxial mixers by incorporating the Metzner-Otto constants (Ks) of the different types of the central impellers into the Reynolds number. The analysis of the collected data revealed that the Scaba-pitched blade-anchor coaxial (SPBAC) mixer was the most efficient mixing system in the mixing of the highly viscous non-Newtonian fluids.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Argang Kazemzadeh

The coaxial mixers composed of a high-speed central impeller and a low-speed anchor have been recommended by the previous researchers for the mixing of highly viscous and non-Newtonian fluids. However, no study has been reported in the literature regarding the use of the coaxial mixing systems composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of complex fluids. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of coaxial mixers composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of the xanthan gum solution, which is a yield-pseudoplastic fluid, through electrical resistance tomography (ERT), the computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and design of experiments (DOE) combined with the response surface methodology (RSM). In the first stage of this study, the hydrodynamic performance of coaxial mixers, the single and double Scaba impellers in combination with an anchor impeller, was investigated in the mixing of yield-pseudoplastic fluids. Considering the mixing efficiency criteria, it was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial system was more efficient than the single Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer in the mixing of yield pseudoplastic fluids with regard to the mixing time and power drawn. In the second stage of this research project, the performances of three different coaxial mixers, namely, double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC), double Rushton turbine-anchor coaxial (DRAC), and double pitched blade turbine-anchor coaxial (DPAC) mixers were assessed. It was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC) mixer was more efficient system compared to the others at the same operating conditions. To evaluate the influence of the impeller spacing on the hydrodynamics of the double Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer, the lower impeller clearance and the spacing between two central impellers were changed within a wide range. The results demonstrated that a coaxial mixer with the impeller spacing of almost equal to the central impeller diameter was the most efficient configuration compared to the other cases. When the impeller spacing was varied, the merging flow and parallel flow patterns were observed. Finally, the hydrodynamic performances of different configurations of coaxial mixers composed of a wall scraping anchor impeller in combination with two different or identical central high-speed impellers were analyzed. The coaxial mixers utilized in this stage were the Scaba–Scaba-anchor (SSAC), Scaba-Rushton-anchor (SRAC), Rushton-Scaba-anchor (RSAC), Scaba-pitched blade-anchor (SPBAC), and pitched blade-Scaba-anchor (PBSAC). A new correlation was introduced for these complex configurations of the coaxial mixers by incorporating the Metzner-Otto constants (Ks) of the different types of the central impellers into the Reynolds number. The analysis of the collected data revealed that the Scaba-pitched blade-anchor coaxial (SPBAC) mixer was the most efficient mixing system in the mixing of the highly viscous non-Newtonian fluids.


2014 ◽  
Vol 747 ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Vandre ◽  
M. S. Carvalho ◽  
S. Kumar

AbstractCharacteristic substrate speeds and meniscus shapes associated with the onset of air entrainment are studied during dynamic wetting failure along a planar substrate. Using high-speed video, the behaviour of the dynamic contact line (DCL) is recorded as a tape substrate is drawn through a bath of a glycerol/water solution. Air entrainment is identified by triangular air films that elongate from the DCL above some critical substrate speed. Meniscus confinement within a narrow gap between the substrate and a stationary plate is shown to delay air entrainment to higher speeds for a wide range of liquid viscosities, expanding upon the findings of Vandre, Carvalho & Kumar (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 707, 2012, pp. 496–520). A pressurized liquid reservoir controls the meniscus position within the confinement gap. It is found that liquid pressurization further postpones air entrainment when the meniscus is located near a sharp corner along the stationary plate. Meniscus shapes recorded near the DCL demonstrate that operating conditions influence the size of entrained air films, with smaller films appearing in the more viscous solutions. Regardless of size, air films become unstable to thickness perturbations and ultimately rupture, leading to the entrainment of air bubbles. Recorded critical speeds and air-film sizes compare well to predictions from a hydrodynamic model for dynamic wetting failure, suggesting that strong air stresses near the DCL trigger the onset of air entrainment.


Author(s):  
B. R. Nichols ◽  
R. L. Fittro ◽  
C. P. Goyne

Many high-speed, rotating machines across a wide range of industrial applications depend on fluid film bearings to provide both static support of the rotor and to introduce stabilizing damping forces into the system through a developed hydrodynamic film wedge. Reduced oil supply flow rate to the bearings can cause cavitation, or a lack of a fully developed film layer, at the leading edge of the bearing pads. Reducing oil flow has the well-documented effects of higher bearing operating temperatures and decreased power losses due to shear forces. While machine efficiency may be improved with reduced lubricant flow, little experimental data on its effects on system stability and performance can be found in the literature. This study looks at overall system performance of a test rig operating under reduced oil supply flow rates by observing steady-state bearing performance indicators and baseline vibrational response of the shaft. The test rig used in this study was designed to be dynamically similar to a high-speed industrial compressor. It consists of a 1.55 m long, flexible rotor supported by two tilting pad bearings with a nominal diameter of 70 mm and a span of 1.2 m. The first bending mode is located at approximately 5,000 rpm. The tiling-pad bearings consist of five pads in a vintage, flooded bearing housing with a length to diameter ratio of 0.75, preload of 0.3, and a load-between-pad configuration. Tests were conducted over a number of operating speeds, ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 rpm, and bearing loads, while systematically reducing the oil supply flow rates provided to the bearings under each condition. For nearly all operating conditions, a low amplitude, broadband subsynchronous vibration pattern was observed in the frequency domain from approximately 0–75 Hz. When the test rig was operated at running speeds above its first bending mode, a distinctive subsynchronous peak emerged from the broadband pattern at approximately half of the running speed and at the first bending mode of the shaft. This vibration signature is often considered a classic sign of rotordynamic instability attributed to oil whip and shaft whirl phenomena. For low and moderate load conditions, the amplitude of this 0.5x subsynchronous peak increased with decreasing oil supply flow rate at all operating speeds. Under the high load condition, the subsynchronous peak was largely attenuated. A discussion on the possible sources of this subsynchronous vibration including self-excited instability and pad flutter forced vibration is provided with supporting evidence from thermoelastohydrodynamic (TEHD) bearing modeling results. Implications of reduced oil supply flow rate on system stability and operational limits are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 146808742092264
Author(s):  
Boni F Yraguen ◽  
Farzad Poursadegh ◽  
Caroline L Genzale

The engine combustion network recommends two different imaging-based diagnostics for the measurement of diesel spray ignition delay and lift-off length, respectively. To measure ignition delay, high-speed imaging of broadband luminosity, spectrally filtered to limit collected wavelengths below 600 nm, is recommended. This diagnostic is often referred to as broadband natural luminosity. For lift-off length measurements, the engine combustion network recommends imaging of OH* chemiluminescence. This diagnostic requires using an image-intensified camera to detect narrowly filtered light around 310 nm. Alternatively, it has been shown that the lift-off length can be measured using broadband natural luminosity, avoiding the need for an intensifier and ultraviolet-transmitting optics. However, care is needed in the collection and processing of this diagnostic to accurately isolate the chemiluminescence signal. Particularly, standard intensity thresholding techniques are not sufficient for isolating the chemiluminescence signal in broadband natural luminosity images. Thus, an intensity-histogram-based thresholding method is introduced. This article assesses the feasibility and practicality of measuring lift-off length using broadband natural luminosity using a detailed comparison to OH* chemiluminescence measurements. It is shown that lift-off length measurements using broadband natural luminosity are prone to user bias error in the optical setup and data processing, especially under moderate- to high-sooting conditions. We conclude that while OH* imaging provides the most reliable and accurate measurement of lift-off length at a wide range of ambient conditions, an intensity-histogram analysis can help discriminate the high-temperature chemiluminescence signal from others in a broadband natural luminosity image at higher-sooting operating conditions than demonstrated in current literature.


2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Robinette ◽  
J. M. Schweitzer ◽  
D. G. Maddock ◽  
C. L. Anderson ◽  
J. R. Blough ◽  
...  

The objective of this investigation was to develop a dimensionless model for predicting the onset of cavitation in torque converters applicable to general converter designs. Dimensional analysis was applied to test results from a matrix of torque converters that ranged from populations comprised of strict geometric similitude to those with more relaxed similarities onto inclusion of all the torque converters tested. Stator torque thresholds at the onset of cavitation for the stall operating condition were experimentally determined with a dynamometer test cell using nearfield acoustical measurements. Cavitation torques, design parameters, and operating conditions were resolved into a set of dimensionless quantities for use in the development of dimensionless empirical models. A systematic relaxation of the fundamental principle of dimensional analysis, geometric similitude, was undertaken to present empirical models applicable to torque converter designs of increasingly diverse design parameters. A stepwise linear regression technique coupled with response surface methodology was utilized to produce an empirical model capable of predicting stator torque at the onset of cavitation with less than 7% error for general automotive torque converter designs.


Author(s):  
Yusuke Katayama ◽  
Yuki Hosoi ◽  
Yuta Fukuda ◽  
Satoshi Watanabe ◽  
Shin-ichi Tsuda ◽  
...  

Abstract In this study, we experimentally investigated the influence of the amount of dissolved air in working fluid and the rotation speed ratio of turbine to pump elements on cavitation phenomenon in automotive torque converter. In order to directly observe the cavitation phenomenon, transparent model was used. The applied charge pressure was varied to change the significance of cavitation. The pump and turbine torques were simultaneously measured to clarify the relation between torque performance and cavitation phenomenon. As a result, the cavitation region was found to depend on the speed ratio; cavitation occurred on the suction side of turbine blades at low speed ratios while in the pump region at high speed ratios. The effect of the amount of dissolved air was significant, which enhanced the growth of cavitation bubbles through the deposition of dissolved air. In such cases, with the further decrease of charge pressure, a large number of gaseous cavitation bubbles appeared in the whole flow passage. The torque performance was deteriorated at this stage.


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